It’s a curious choice considering the wealth of local artists who’ve creating intriguing installation art - from Saskia Jorda’s Cacerolazo shown during Michigan’s ArtPrize to Denise Yaghmourian’s Objects of Memory shown at Bentley Gallery in Phoenix. So far, Wonderspaces hasn’t featured work by Arizona creatives. And it’s a refreshing alternative to following your friends around from store to store for hours on end.įor people familiar with the local arts scene, it raises some interesting questions. Odds are, some people will be perfectly satisfied with “Elsewhere.” It has a couple of Instagram-worthy pieces, including Squidsoup’s Submergence, which features over 8,000 points of light. Matthew Matthew’s On a Human Scale allows viewers to activate videos of diverse people singing by manipulating the keys on a piano. Nicole Banowetz’s inflatable Erupture sculpture surrounds viewers with an alternative landscape complete with transparencies that reveal internal structures. Lynn Trimble Fortunately, there are a few exceptions. And Levitate is a simple row of tubes with balls that rise or fall in response to viewer proximity.

Soil is basically a floor of silver tiles that tilt as people walk across them. Its website promises 13 “extraordinary works of art.” Instead, it filled 16,000 square feet of space with creative endeavors that fall far short of expectations.

Now, it’s showing “Elsewhere.” And it’s a whole other ballgame. First up for Scottsdale was an exhibition called “Point of View,” which included a compelling mix of artworks. The venue presents changing exhibitions, which typically include more than a dozen installations. Later, the first permanent location opened at the upscale Scottsdale mall. The concept launched in San Diego with a pop-up exhibition several years ago.

Wonderspaces bills itself as an immersive space where interacting with art sparks curiosity and wonder. And, they likely wonder: Is it worth the $24 price of admission? Some have stumbled onto an arts venue called Wonderspaces, which opened near the food court earlier this year. People have been pouring into Scottsdale Fashion Square this month in search of the perfect holiday gift.

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